Washington (AP) The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Washington Nationals 5-0 on Wednesday, with Nick Lodolo pitching his first full game with eight strikeouts, Nick Fraley and Santiago Espinal each recording two singles.
Lodolo (8-6) did not walk while giving up four hits. The 27-year-old left-hander has tossed 124 1/3 innings, a single-season career high, and made his 21st start of the year.
In the eighth inning, Jake Fraley was driven in by Jose Trevino’s sacrifice fly and an RBI double from Noelvi Marte. In the ninth inning, Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz both contributed an RBI to tie the score.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead after De La Cruz drew a leadoff walk in the fourth, stole second base, and scored on a single by Jake Fraley off starter Michael Soroka (3-8).
Cincinnati ended the Nationals’ five-game winning streak at home.
With one out in the eighth, Jackson Rutledge took Konnor Pilkington’s place. He allowed Fraley and Austin Hays to single back-to-back before Trevino’s sac fly and Marte’s double to left field made it 3-0.
For the first time this season, the Reds avoided getting swept despite losing the first two games of the series. The 1970 Reds, who went on to win the National League pennant, set a record of 32 consecutive series without being swept, which Cincinnati surpassed to set a franchise record of 33.
On Friday, Nick Martinez (8-9, 4.73 ERA) of Cincinnati will start the first game of a three-game series against Tampa Bay. The starting for the Rays has not yet been revealed. MacKenzie Gore (4-9, 3.59) of Washington starts a three-game set against Zebby Matthews (1-2, 6.26) of Minnesota.
